Volksarmee
The People's Army (PA) (German: Volksarmee,'' ''VA), also known as the German People's Army (GPA) (German: Deutsche Volksarmee,'' ''DVA), is the armed forces of the Free Socialist Republic of Germany. Although smaller than its Soviet counterpart, it is considered one of the most elite military forces in the world due to high discipline, quality training, skilled officers and its status as a volunteer only force. History The Volksarmee was established on May 1st 1919 as the People's Militia (German: Volksmilitz) during the May Uprising in Berlin. After the Red Belt was fully secured a month later, the Volksmilitz was reformed as the Volksarmee and the forces of the workers militias and the defected Reichswehr were united under this organization. In the early months of the Civil War the Volksarmee struggled to find skilled officers and leaders, however the mass defections from the Reichswehr brought many skilled officers to the disposal of the People's Army, such as Erwin Rommel. Many soldiers who distinguished themselves in battle as skilled leaders were also provided officer status. Perhaps the most famous of these is Ludwig Renn, the current Minister of Defence. During the Civil War, the Volksarmee swelled to a size of around 2,200,000 at its peak. The unity of these forces stood in sharp contrast to the great rifts in the White movement, which had been split between the Reichswehr, the Freikorps, the Stahlhelm and republican paramilitaries who often refused to cooperate on the battlefield. The Volksarmee remained a volunteer force throughout the entire conflict, meaning it experienced few internal political divisions and defections. After the Civil War concluded in November 1920, the Volksarmee was progressively reduced in size so that a larger workforce could be utilized to rebuild Germany. By 1923 the Volksarmee had been reduced to about 700,000 in size (including reserves) and has remained around that level for the last nine years. It received a new official doctrine and structure on 11 August 1923, and became the elite volunteer force it is today. Ideology The Volksarmee, being a volunteer force, is for the most part composed of forces loyal to the socialist cause the government champions. The Volksarmee remains officially socialist ideologically, though recruits are not required to be members of any political party. Symbols of socialism and international solidarity remain an integral part of the Volksarmee, and this is embodied in the motto. The Volksarmee was intentionally left without an official national or ethnic label to adhere to the anti-nationalist platform of the FSRD. Training Military service is not compulsory, though the state provided schooling system does encourage young adults to pursue a military career and offers training and benefits for doing so. This training is considered high quality, and the doctrine is derived from traditional Prussian military tactics. Composition As of 1932 the Volksarmee has an active personnel count of about 605,000, with about 120,000 in reserves. Many are considered career soldiers. The vast majority of the Volksarmee comes from lower working class backgrounds and the remaining former aristocracy are generally discouraged from joining the Volksarmee. Primary school is the average highest level of education among Volksarmee soldiers. Newspaper The Volksarmee has an official newspaper called Die Volksarmee which reports on military news, recent achievements and operations, as well as important recent events. Organization The Volksarmee has four branches: * The Landstreitkräfte (Land Forces) with an active personnel strength of about 410,000. * The Volksmarine (People's Navy) with an active personnel strength of about 140,000. , 1931.]] * The Luftstreitkräfte (Air Forces) with an active personnel strength of about 30,000. * The Rote Garde (Red Guard) with an active personnel strength of about 25,000. This is supplemented by about 120,000 reserve personnel as well as about 100,000 members of the paramilitary Roter Frontkämpferbund. Equipment The Volksarmee is well equipped with modern weaponry and armaments. It participates in joint design programmes with the Soviet Red Army, which has produced a number of common tank and vehicle designs. Its stockpiles are quite large, containing: * 2,230,000 firearms * 670,000 tons of ammunition * 37,800 vehicles * 3,170 artillery pieces * 1,840 mortars * 1,230 tanks * 980 aircraft Uniforms The uniforms of the Volksarmee are based off of late designs of German uniforms made during the Great War. They have preserved the traditional feldgrau (field gray) color, though various adjustments have been made throughout the last decade. The uniform includes a patch with a red star to distinguish German soldiers from their counterparts in Baden-Württemberg and the Rhineland, who have also adopted modified versions of the imperial uniforms. Category:Free Socialist Republic of Germany Category:Armies